The power of light

Our impact on local economies

Rotary members train people to become resources for their community, offering networking activities, advice on new business development, and mathematics and financial management training.

Rotarians make amazing things happen, like:

Breaking the cycle of poverty for women: Most of the women living in rural Guatemala do not have the collateral to get loans from regulated financial institutions. The Rotary Club of Guatemala de la Ermita helped 400 local women complete financial literacy courses so they could pool their money and fund their own microlending program.

Skills development, business training: In Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Rotary members helped grant more than 250 microloans and train more than 270 community members in sewing, baking, plumbing, microcredit, business management, and leadership.

Sustainable farming: In west Cameroon, soil erosion and loss of soil fertility have significantly reduced farmers’ harvests. Rotary members gave farmers the skills they needed to improve soil fertility, control soil erosion, and market their produce. The results: increased crop yields and profits.

$9.20 mil

The amount The Rotary Foundation has spent to grow local economies and reduce poverty last year

795.00 mil

people — or 1 in 9 people in the world — do not have enough to eat

60.00%

of the world’s hungry people are women and girls

70.00%

of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihood